In New Mexico, if you want to support a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that works on issues, such as free speech or the environment, you must be willing to forfeit your privacy. State law requires all nonprofit issue-advocacy groups to report their donors to the government. The donors are then put on a government list and have their information published to a public website.
New Mexico law also requires these advocacy organizations to identify themselves as the sponsors on public messages and register as political committees, even though they’re talking about issues, not political campaigns.
Every American has the constitutional right to support issues they believe in without fear of harassment and retribution for their views, but New Mexico’s donor disclosure requirements effectively negate those rights.
By naming and shaming individuals who support different viewpoints, this law effectively prevents everyday Americans from advocating for causes they believe in and favors powerful, entrenched political interests.
Jeffrey M. Schwab is a Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, where he litigates cases to protect the rights to free speech, economic liberty, private property and other Constitutional rights in both federal and state courts across the country.
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